Off the court, however, teams are preparing for a different type of competition: the 2022 NBA Draft is nearly here, and represents for many teams the best chance at improving and challenging for a spot in next year’s finals.
The top of this year’s draft class includes Jabari Smith Jr. from Auburn, Paolo Banchero from Duke, and Chet Holmgren from Gonzaga. Who goes in the No. 1 overall spot is anyone’s guess, but storylines and consensus are starting to develop around the top players of the draft.
TSN’s NBA DRAFT HQ2-round mock draft | Top 60 big board
With that, The Sporting News has everything you need to know about the 2022 NBA Draft, including how to watch, where it takes place and which players have the best chance at going No. 1 overall:
When is the NBA Draft in 2022?
Date: Thursday, June 23 Start time: 8 p. m. ET TV channels: ABC | ESPN | TSN (Canada) Live stream: Watch ESPN | TSN Direct (Canada) | fuboTV
The 2022 NBA Draft will be held at the Barclays Center in New York on Thursday, June 23 — the ninth year in a row the event has been held there. The 2022 NBA Draft will feature 58 picks between Rounds 1 and 2, as opposed to the customary 60 (as a result of the Bucks and Heat losing their second-round picks due to violating the league’s anti-tampering rules).
NBA free agency begins June 30 at 6 p.m. ET.
MORE: Watch the 2022 NBA Draft live with fuboTV (get access now)
What time does the NBA Draft start?
The 2022 NBA Draft will begin at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 23; teams have five minutes apiece between picks, making for roughly a four-to-five-hour draft.
The NBA draft is different from each of the other three major North American professional sports leagues (NFL, NHL and MLB) in that the event only lasts one day, due to the limited number of players selected over the course of both rounds (60 in a normal draft).
MORE NBA DRAFT:Green room invitees | Draft prospects
NBA Draft TV schedule
ESPN and ABC will each broadcast the first round of the draft before coverage moves solely to ESPN for Round 2. Canadian viewers can watch the event on TSN
How to live stream the NBA Draft
Live stream: Watch ESPN (U. S. ) | TSN Direct (Canada) | fuboTV
The 2022 NBA Draft can be streamed through the Watch ESPN app via a cable subscription. Cord-cutters will be able to stream the event through most streaming services, including ESPN+, TSN Direct in Canada, and fuboTV.
NBA Draft 2022 order of picks
For the second straight year, the Magic have a top-five lottery pick (having selected Jalen Suggs fifth overall in the 2021 NBA Draft). Orlando, which had the second-worst record at 22-60, won the 2022 lottery outright with a 14 percent chance — tied for the best odds alongside the Rockets and Pistons.
It is the team’s first No. 1 overall pick since 2004, when it drafted Dwight Howard.
Following the Magic in the NBA Draft are the Thunder, with the league’s fourth-worst record at 24-58. The Rockets (20-62), Kings (30-52) and Pistons (23-59) round out the top five, respectively.
The teams with the most draft picks this year are the Spurs and Timberwolves. San Antonio has three first-round picks and the No. 38 overall pick while Minnesota has the No. 19 overall pick and three second-rounders. Four teams have zero draft selections this year: the Lakers, Suns, Jazz and Nets (following Brooklyn’s decision to defer its acquisition of the 76ers’ first-rounder to the 2023 NBA Draft).
Below is a look at the selection order for the 2022 NBA Draft.
Round 1
Round 2
2022 NBA mock draft
The general expectation for the 2022 NBA Draft is that Jabari Smith Jr. will go No. 1 overall to the Magic, followed by some combination of Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Purdue’s Jaden Ivey and Iowa’s Keegan Murray.
Below are the top five picks in the latest NBA mock draft, courtesy of TSN’s Kyle Irving as of June 17):
1. Orlando Magic: Jabari Smith Jr. , F, Auburn 2. Oklahoma City Thunder: Chet Holmgren, G/C, Gonzaga 3. Houston Rockets: Paolo Banchero, F, Duke 4. Sacramento Kings: Jaden Ivey, G, Purdue 5. Detroit Pistons: Shaedon Sharpe, G, Kentucky
2022 NBA Draft prospects
According to Irving, here are the top 10 prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft:
Paolo Banchero, F, Duke Chet Holmgren, G/C, Gonzaga Jabar Smith Jr. , F, Auburn Jaden Ivey, G, Purdue Shaedon Sharpe, G, Kentucky Keegan Murray, F, Iowa Dyson Daniels, G, G League Ignite Jalen Duren, C, Memphis Benedict Mathurin, G, Arizona Johnny Davis, G, Wisconsin
For a complete ranking of the top 60 prospects in the draft, here is TSN’s big board.
